It is impossible to say exactly how many people in the early church were considered apostles. We can say with certainty that it was more than twelve. The original twelve were these: These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and ... Read More "How Many Apostles Were There?" »

Back in episode 27, we looked at the Roman Emperors of the first century (or most of them). Now we take a look at the emperors from the last part of the first to the last part of the second centuries. This was a good time for Rome as they enjoyed “The Five Good Emperors.” ... Read More "Episode 47 – The Roman Empire in the Second Century" »

One of the most important leaders in the Church today is that of the Pope. But where did the popes come from? They have been in the background all through our narrative. In this episode, we go back and look at the “popes” or bishops of Rome from the first two centuries. Other episodes of ... Read More "Episode 46 – The “Popes” of the First Two Centuries" »

I have loved history for as long as I can remember. When my friends were reading superhero comic books, I was reading comic books about World War Two (Sgt Rock was my favourite). My interest in military history has continued but has also expanded. There are many areas of history that I enjoy, both ancient ... Read More "5 Reasons Why I Love History" »

Clement of Alexandria may not be the most well known of the Church Fathers but he was influential. Clement helped to develop the Alexandrian school, something that would be come even more famous (infamous?) under Clement’s student, Origen. Make sure to visit OMIO and use the code “OMIO5” before July 31, 2021. You can also ... Read More "Episode 45 – Clement of Alexandria" »

In this episode, we look at one of the most influential of the early church fathers: Irenaeus of Lyons. He is especially relevant when it comes to Christian apologetics. We also take a brief look at the Montanists.

Justin Martyr was an important church father and pioneering Christian apologist. He had the courage to not just write a defence of Christianity but to address it by name to the Roman Emperor. Please consider supporting this podcast through Patreon or by downloading a FREE audiobook with a FREE trial of Audible.

One of the most important movements to understand the history of Christianity, especially for the second and third centuries, is that of Gnosticism. Gnosticism is one of those things that many have heard about but few know what it really means. In this episode, we look at some of the beliefs and possible origins. For ... Read More "Episode 42 – Getting to Know the Gnostics" »

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Gordon Heath of McMaster Divinity College. We have an interesting chat on the nature of church history and how he got interested. If you are interested in church history, you won’t want to miss this interview. Make sure to visit Gord at his website. Resources Mentioned in this ... Read More "Episode 41 – Interview With a Historian: Gord Heath" »

How do we study Christian history? One way is to look at the sermons of the past. Sermons are more than expositions of biblical texts. They reflect both the individual preacher and the historical circumstances. Revived Thoughts is a podcast that brings back the sermons of the past, getting contemporary people to share the messages ... Read More "Episode 40 – Revived Thoughts" »